Heat pump air conditioner

ABSTRACT

A heat pump air conditioner includes an outdoor unit for heating use only for supplementing heating capacity when additional heating capacity must be provided to the heating capacity of an outdoor unit for heating and cooling in a heating mode. Since the outdoor unit for heating use only is installed independent from the outdoor units for heating and cooling use, such that the outdoor unit for heating use only can supplement the heating capacity only when the additional heating capacity is required in addition to the heating capacity of the outdoor units for heating and cooling use in the heating mode, in order to correspond to the heating load in cold climes, there is no need to install an outdoor unit having larger heating capacity than the required heating capacity. Thus, costs for installation and management are reduced.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a heat pump air conditioner, and more particularly, to a heat pump air conditioner in which costs for installing an outdoor unit of a larger capacity than required can be saved by additionally installing an outdoor unit for heating use only capable of supplementing heating capacity of a heating and cooling air conditioning system when additional heating capacity is required in addition to the heating capacity of an outdoor unit for heating and cooling in a heating mode.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, an air conditioner is a device for cooling or heating in order to provide a comfortable indoor climate, which sucks indoor air, heats or cools the sucked indoor air, and discharges the heated or cooled air to a confined space.

A conventional air conditioner includes a compressor for compressing low-temperature-and-low-pressure gas refrigerant into high-pressure gas refrigerant, a condenser (serving as an indoor heat exchanger in a heating mode, and an outdoor heat exchanger in a cooling mode) for condensing the gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor, an expansion device for expanding the gas refrigerant condensed by the condenser, an evaporator (serving as an outdoor heat exchanger in a cooling mode, and an indoor heat exchanger in a heating mode) for evaporating liquid refrigerant introduced from the expansion device, and a four-way valve for switching the direction of the refrigerant flow according to the heating mode and the cooling mode.

The compressor and the outdoor heat exchanger are installed in the outdoor unit, and the expansion device and the indoor heat exchanger are installed in the indoor unit.

Plural outdoor units and indoor units are provided, and the outdoor units are connected to a refrigerant tube by means of a service valve.

In the conventional air conditioner as described above, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor is fed to the outdoor units by the four-way valve in the cooling mode, and the refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchangers is condensed due to heat exchange between the refrigerant and ambient air and is fed to the expansion device.

The refrigerant expanded by the expansion device enters the indoor units and is evaporated by absorbing heat of indoor air, thereby cooling the indoor air.

Meanwhile, in the heating mode, the four-way valve switches the refrigerant passage so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor passes through the four-way valve, the indoor units, the expansion device, the outdoor units, and the four-way valve to heat a confined space.

However, in order to use the conventional air conditioner in cold climes, since a large capacity outdoor unit suit to the cold climes of average winter temperature of about sub-zero 15 degrees centigrade must be installed, costs for buying and installation of the large outdoor unit are increased. Moreover, since only about 20 days in a year in the cold climes are sub-zero 15 degrees centigrade, the large outdoor unit is unnecessary in remaining days so that the large outdoor is useless.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above and/or other problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a heat pump air conditioner in which an outdoor unit for heating use only is installed to add heating capacity of the heat pump air conditioner so that costs of installing a large capacity outdoor unit can be reduced and the area for installing the large capacity outdoor unit is reduced.

In accordance with the present invention, the above and other aspects can be accomplished by the provision of a heat pump air conditioner including at least one outdoor unit for heating and cooling use including compressors, a four-way valve, and an outdoor heat exchanger, at least one indoor unit for heating and cooling use connected to the outdoor unit by a refrigerant tube, and an outdoor unit for heating use only installed independently from the outdoor unit for heating and cooling use and supplementing heating capacity of the heat pump air conditioner when there is a need to provide additional heating capacity to the heating capacity of the outdoor unit for heating and cooling use in a heating mode.

Preferably, the outdoor unit for heating use only includes an additional compressor, and an additional outdoor heat exchanger.

The outdoor unit for heating use only includes a valve device for opening and closing a passage connected to the indoor unit.

The valve device includes an electronic expansion valve opened to expand refrigerant introduced from the indoor unit for heating and cooling use in the heating mode, and closed to prevent the refrigerant from being introduced from the indoor unit for heating and cooling use in the cooling mode.

Preferably, the valve device further includes a check valve installed in a discharge passage of the additional compressor to prevent the refrigerant from flowing in reverse to the additional compressor in the cooling mode.

The outdoor unit for heating use only further includes an accumulator installed to an inlet port of the additional compressor to accumulate liquid refrigerant from the refrigerant sucked into the additional compressor.

In accordance with the present invention, the above and other aspects can be accomplished by the provision of a heat pump air conditioner including at least one outdoor unit for heating and cooling use having compressors, a four-way valve, and an outdoor heat exchanger, at least one indoor unit for heating and cooling use connected to the outdoor unit for heating and cooling use by a refrigerant tube, and an outdoor unit for cooling use only installed independently from the outdoor unit and supplementing cooling capacity of the heat pump air conditioner when there is a need to provide additional cooling capacity to the cooling capacity of the outdoor unit for heating and cooling use in a cooling mode.

Preferably, the outdoor unit for cooling use only includes an additional compressor, an additional outdoor heat exchanger, and a valve device for opening and closing a passage connected to the indoor unit for heating and cooling use.

The valve device includes an electronic expansion valve opened to expand refrigerant introduced from the additional outdoor heat exchanger in the cooling mode, and closed to prevent the refrigerant from being introduced from the additional outdoor heat exchanger in the heating mode.

The outdoor unit for cooling use only further comprises an accumulator installed to an inlet port of the additional compressor to accumulate liquid refrigerant from the refrigerant sucked into the additional compressor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a systemic view illustrating a heat pump air conditioner according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention in a cooling mode;

FIG. 2 is a systemic view illustrating the heat pump air conditioner according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention in a heating mode; and

FIG. 3 is a systemic view illustrating a heat pump air conditioner according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention in a cooling mode.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments of a heat pump air conditioner according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a systemic view illustrating a heat pump air conditioner according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention in a cooling mode, and FIG. 2 is a systemic view illustrating the heat pump air conditioner according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention in a heating mode.

The heat pump air conditioner according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes at least one outdoor unit 50 for heating and cooling use having compressors 51 and 52, a four-way valve 53, and an outdoor heat exchanger 54, at least one indoor unit 60 for heating and cooling use connected to the outdoor unit 50 for heating and cooling use by a refrigerant tube, and an outdoor unit 70 for heating use only installed independently from the outdoor unit 50 and supplementing additional heating capacity of the heat pump air conditioner when there is a need to add the additional heating capacity to the heating capacity of the outdoor unit 50 for heating and cooling use in a heating mode.

Although the heat pump air conditioner may include plural outdoor units 50 for heating and cooling use, in this preferred embodiment of the present invention, only the heat pump air conditioner having two outdoor units 50 is described, and each of the outdoor units 50 further includes an expansion device 55.

The outdoor heat exchangers 54 serve as a condenser in the cooling mode and as an evaporator in the heating mode, and the four-way valves 53 switch the direction of refrigerant flow according to the heating or cooling mode.

Each of the indoor units 60 includes an indoor heat exchanger 61 serving as an evaporator in the cooling mode and as a condenser in the heating mode.

The outdoor units 50 for heating and cooling use and the indoor units 60 for heating and cooling use are connected to each other by a refrigerant tube. The refrigerant tube includes a first refrigerant tube 62 installed such that refrigerant enters the outdoor units 50 for heating and cooling use from the indoor units 60 for heating and cooling use in the heating mode, and a second refrigerant tube 63 installed such that refrigerant enters the indoor units 60 for heating and cooling use from the outdoor units 50 for heating and cooling use.

Each of the outdoor units 50 includes two compressors, i.e. a first compressor 51 and a second compressor 52 connected to each other via a common accumulator 56. Each of the common accumulators 56 is connected to each of a first suction passage 57 and a second suction passage 58 provided in each of the first and second compressors 51 and 52.

Each of the first and second compressors 51 and 52 is connected to each of a first discharge passage 64 and a second discharge passage 65 from which gas refrigerant compressed at high temperature and high pressure by the first and second compressors 51 and 52 is discharged. Each of the first and second discharge passages 64 and 65 includes each of first check valves 66 and second check valves 67 for preventing the high-temperature-and-high-pressure gas refrigerant from flowing in reverse.

Each of the first and second discharge passages 64 and 65 is combined into each of third discharge passages 68 for guiding the discharged refrigerant into each of the four-way valves 53.

Meanwhile, the outdoor unit 70 for heating use only includes an additional compressor 71, an additional outdoor heat exchanger 72, and a valve device for opening and closing a passage into which the refrigerant is introduced from the indoor units 60 for heating and cooling use.

The additional compressor 71 is a constant-speed compressor, and the additional outdoor heat exchanger 72 includes a fan 73 for blowing outdoor air to the additional outdoor heat exchanger 72.

The additional compressor 71 includes an accumulator 74 installed to an inlet port of the additional compressor 71 to accumulate liquid refrigerant from the refrigerant sucked into the additional compressor 71.

The additional compressor 71 includes an additional discharge passage 75 such that the refrigerant compressed and discharged from the additional compressor 71 is guided to the indoor units 60 for heating and cooling use. The additional discharge passage 75 is connected to the second refrigerant tube 63.

The indoor units 60 for heating and cooling use and the outdoor unit 70 for heating use only are connected by an additional suction passage 77 through which the refrigerant is sucked into the additional outdoor heat exchanger 72 from the indoor units 60 for heating and cooling use, and the additional suction passage 77 is connected to the first refrigerant tube 62.

The valve device is an electronic expansion valve 78, which is installed in the additional suction passage 77, is opened in the heating mode to expand the refrigerant introducing from the indoor units 60 for heating and cooling use, and is closed in the cooling mode to block the refrigerant introduced from the indoor units 60 for heating and cooling use.

Moreover, the valve device further includes a check valve 76 installed in the additional discharge passage 75 to prevent the refrigerant from flowing in reverse to the additional compressor 71 in the cooling mode.

Preferably, the outdoor units 50 for heating and cooling use having a capacity corresponding to heating and cooling load under the general standard temperature condition are selected and installed. In order to correspond to weather of the very cold climes in winter, the outdoor unit 70 for heating use only having a heating capacity as much as the heating capacity added to the heating capacity of the outdoor unit 50 for heating and cooling use, is selected and installed.

Meanwhile, the heat pump air conditioner further includes a controller (not shown) for closing the electronic expansion valve 78 to prevent the outdoor units 50 for heating and cooling use from being used under the general standard temperature condition or in the cooling mode, and for opening the electronic expansion valve 78 when the additional capacity is required.

Operation of the heat pump air conditioner according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention as described above will be described in detail.

First, in the cooling mode, the four-way valves 53 are switched to the cooling mode. The refrigerant compressed by the first and second compressors 51 and 52 is discharged through the first and second discharge passages 64 and 65, is mixed in the combined discharge passage 68, passes through the four-way valves 53, the outdoor heat exchangers 54, the expansion devices 55, and the indoor heat exchangers 61, in turn, and circulates through the four-way valves 53, the common accumulators 56, and the first and second compressors 51 and 62, again.

Here, the refrigerant absorbs heat of indoor air and is evaporated to cool indoor air during passage through the indoor units 61.

In the cooling mode, the electronic expansion valve 78 of the outdoor unit 70 for heating use only is closed so that the refrigerant is prevented from being sucked into the outdoor unit 70 for heating use only via the additional suction passage 77 from the indoor heat exchangers 61. Thus, the outdoor unit 70 for heating use only 70 does not work.

Meanwhile, in the heating mode, under the standard temperature condition, i.e. when the heating capacity of the outdoor units 50 for heating and cooling use can correspond to the heating load, like in the cooling mode, the electronic expansion valve 78 is closed, and thus the outdoor unit 70 for heating use only is inactive.

However, when the temperature is lower than the standard temperature, i.e. when the additional heating capacity is required in addition to the heating capacity of the outdoor units 50 for heating and cooling use, the electronic expansion valve 78 is opened, and thus the refrigerant enters the outdoor unit 70 for heating use only.

The refrigerant sucked into the outdoor unit 70 for heating use only circulates through the electronic expansion valve 78, the additional outdoor heat exchanger 72, the accumulator 74, the additional compressor 71, and the indoor units 60 for heating and cooling use.

Therefore, only by adding the outdoor unit 70 for heating use only in the place where the heating capacity is insufficient, like in the very cold region, can the heat pump air conditioner according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention correspond to the required heating capacity.

Here, since the outdoor unit 70 for heating use only has a simple structure without various sensors, a four-way valve, or the like, and occupies a small installation space, costs for installation and management can be reduced.

FIG. 3 is a systemic view illustrating a heat pump air conditioner according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention in a cooling mode.

The heat pump air conditioner according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention includes at least one outdoor unit 50 for heating and cooling use having compressors 51 and 52, a four-way valve 53, and an outdoor heat exchanger 54, at least one indoor unit 60 for heating and cooling use connected to the outdoor unit 50 for heating and cooling use by a refrigerant tube, and an outdoor unit 80 for cooling use only installed independently from the outdoor unit 50 and supplementing cooling capacity of the heat pump air conditioner when there is a need to add the additional cooling capacity to the cooling capacity of the outdoor unit 50 for heating and cooling use in a cooling mode.

Here, since the internal configuration and operations of the outdoor units 50 for heating and cooling use and the indoor units 60 for heating and cooling use are identical to those of the heat pump air conditioner according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention except that the outdoor unit 80 for cooling use only is used only in the cooling mode, the same reference numerals are assigned to the outdoor units 50 for heating and cooling use, the indoor units 60 for heating and cooling use, and their elements, and their descriptions are omitted.

The outdoor unit 80 for cooling use only includes an additional compressor 81, an additional outdoor heat exchanger 82, a valve device for opening and closing a passage connected to the indoor units 60 for heating and cooling use, and an accumulator 84.

An additional suction passage 85, through which the refrigerant is sucked into the outdoor unit 80 for cooling use only, connects the first refrigerant tube 62 with a suction part of the accumulator 84, and an additional discharge passage 86, through which the refrigerant is discharged from the outdoor unit 80 for cooling use only, connects the second refrigerant tube 63 to the additional outdoor heat exchanger 82.

The valve device is an electronic expansion valve 83, which is installed in the additional discharge passage 86, is opened in the cooling mode to expand the refrigerant introducing from the additional outdoor heat exchanger 82, and is closed in the heating mode to block the refrigerant introduced from the additional outdoor heat exchanger 82.

The heat pump air conditioner according to the present invention configured as described above has the following advantages.

In the heat pump air conditioner according to the present invention, since the outdoor unit for heating use only is installed independent from the outdoor units for heating and cooling use, such that the outdoor unit for heating use only can supplement the heating capacity only when the additional heating capacity is required in addition to the heating capacity of the outdoor units for heating and cooling use in the heating mode, there is no need to install a large outdoor unit having heating capacity greater than required heating capacity so as to correspond to cold weather of the cold region. Thus, costs for installation and management are saved.

Moreover, as the outdoor unit for heating use only includes the additional compressor, the additional outdoor heat exchanger, and the valve device, the configuration is simple so that a space and costs for installation of the outdoor unit for heating use only are reduced.

The outdoor unit for heating use only is installed in the cold climes and places where the heating capacity of an air conditioning system is insufficient, so that the required heating capacity can be easily provided to the heating load.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. 

1. A heat pump air conditioner comprising: at least one outdoor unit for heating and cooling use including a compressor, a four-way valve, and an outdoor heat exchanger; at least one indoor unit for heating and cooling use connected to the outdoor unit by a refrigerant tube; and an outdoor unit for heating use only installed independently from the outdoor unit for heating and cooling use and supplementing heating capacity of the heat pump air conditioner when there is a need to provide additional heating capacity to the heating capacity of the outdoor unit for heating and cooling use in a heating mode.
 2. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outdoor unit for heating use only comprises: an additional compressor; and an additional outdoor heat exchanger.
 3. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 2, wherein the outdoor unit for heating use only comprises a valve device for opening and closing a passage connected to the indoor unit.
 4. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 3, wherein the valve device comprises an electronic expansion valve opened to expand refrigerant introduced from the indoor unit for heating and cooling use in the heating mode, and closed to prevent the refrigerant from being introduced from the indoor unit for heating and cooling use in the cooling mode.
 5. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 4, wherein the valve device further comprises a check valve for preventing the refrigerant from flowing in reverse to the additional compressor in the cooling mode.
 6. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 5, wherein the valve device is installed in a discharge passage of the additional compressor.
 7. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 5, wherein the outdoor unit for heating use only further comprises an accumulator installed to an inlet port of the additional compressor to accumulate liquid refrigerant from the refrigerant sucked into the additional compressor.
 8. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outdoor unit for heating and cooling use further comprises an expansion device for expanding the refrigerant introduced from the indoor unit for heating and cooling use in the heating mode.
 9. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 8, wherein the compressor comprises a plurality of compressors.
 10. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 9, wherein a common accumulator connects the compressors to one another.
 11. A heat pump air conditioner comprising: at least one outdoor unit for heating and cooling use having a compressor, a four-way valve, and an outdoor heat exchanger; at least one indoor unit for heating and cooling use connected to the outdoor unit for heating and cooling use by a refrigerant tube; and an outdoor unit for cooling use only installed independently from the outdoor unit and supplementing cooling capacity of the heat pump air conditioner when there is a need to provide additional cooling capacity to the cooling capacity of the outdoor unit for heating and cooling use in a cooling mode.
 12. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 11, wherein the outdoor unit for cooling use only comprises: an additional compressor; and an additional outdoor heat exchanger.
 13. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 12, wherein the outdoor unit for cooling use only further comprises a valve device for opening and closing a passage connected to the indoor unit for heating and cooling use.
 14. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 13, wherein the valve device comprises an electronic expansion valve opened to expand refrigerant introduced from the additional outdoor heat exchanger in the cooling mode, and closed to prevent the refrigerant from being introduced from the additional outdoor heat exchanger in the heating mode.
 15. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 14, wherein the outdoor unit for cooling use only further comprises a check valve installed in a discharge passage of the additional compressor to prevent the refrigerant from flowing in reverse to the additional compressor.
 16. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 15, wherein the outdoor unit for cooling use only further comprises an accumulator installed to an inlet port of the additional compressor to accumulate liquid refrigerant from the refrigerant sucked into the additional compressor.
 17. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 11, wherein the outdoor unit for heating and cooling use further comprises an expansion device for expanding the refrigerant passed through the outdoor heat exchanger in the cooling mode.
 18. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 17, wherein the compressor comprises a plurality of compressors.
 19. The heat pump air conditioner as set forth in claim 18 wherein, the plural compressors are connected to a common accumulator.
 20. A heat pump air conditioner comprising: at least one outdoor unit for heating and cooling use having a compressor, a four-way valve, and an outdoor heat exchanger; at least one indoor unit for heating and cooling use connected to the outdoor unit for heating and cooling use by a refrigerant tube; an outdoor unit for cooling use only installed independently from the outdoor unit and supplementing additional cooling capacity of the heat pump air conditioner when there is a need to add the additional cooling capacity to the cooling capacity of the outdoor unit for heating and cooling use in a cooling mode; and a valve device for opening and closing a passage connected to the indoor unit for heating and cooling use. 